As the life of a deer depends upon water, so our lives depend upon God. Those who seek him and long to understand him find eternal life. Feeling separated from God, this psalmist wouldn’t rest until he restored his relationship with God because he knew that this very life depended on it.

Depression is one of the most common emotional ailments. One antidote for depression is to meditate on the record of God’s goodness to his people. This will take your mind off the present situation as you focus your thoughts on God’s ability to help you rather than on your inability to help yourself. When you feel depressed, take advantage of this psalm’s antidepressant: Read the Bible’s accounts of God’s goodness, and meditate on them. (NLT)

Psalm 42:1-8 – As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and stand before him? Day and night, I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this God of yours?”

My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks—it was the sound of a great celebration!

Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember your kindness—from Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar. I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.

Through each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.

The psalmist wrote, “I seek you, [my God], my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

Kenn Edwards (New Mexico) titled his story “DRY AND WEARY LAND;” here is a portion of Kenn’s story:

“Living in a desert has given me a new understanding of the Bible’s references to a dry and weary land. Here, it seems as if nothing grows except near a stream or river. . . .

“Just as plants draw nourishment from water, we find the nourishment we need to grow spiritually in time spent with God. . . .

“But when we acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Water of Life, our faith can flourish and we can receive strength from him. . . . Remaining connected to God’s living water requires work. Disciplines such as spending time with God in prayer, studying the Bible, and learning how to listen for God’s voice are all part of growing in our relationship with Christ. When we seek God every day, our thirst will be quenched by Living Water.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY – How am I seeking God today?

Prayer: Dear God, fill us with your living water today so we can walk in your love. Amen.